I Promise
by SugarDee
Summary: ..you've got to come to The Burrow as soon as possible. Ron hasn't eaten anything for days and neither has responded to anything we do or say." Set in DH before the epilogue


_A/N: Less than a month ago, a friend of mine passed away after going through a coma for almost a month. He was still in his early 20s which made me so sad because he's still so young. I didn't really know the cause of it since no-one told me. And also because he lived back in my hometown. Therefore, I couldn't attend his funeral._

_Earlier this month, I went to his facebook profile just to see who have written in his walls so far. While reading all these sad messages for him, I actually shed some tears. It was really sad knowing that he's gone so fast, even though it might be best for him rather than being under a coma for a really long time without knowing when he's actually going to wake up._

_I didn't really know him that well because we're never in the same class. However I know that he's a really great guy that everybody likes. So may you rest in peace._

_Anyway since I was still in kind of a sad mood, I decided to write this piece. I think most people have written about this, but this is my version. Hope you all like it._

_**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to JK Rowling._

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I PROMISE

_Hermione,_

_I know you're still exhausted from your 'trip' from Australia last night, but you've got to come to The Burrow as soon as possible. Ron hasn't eaten anything for days and neither has he responded to anything we do or say. Even George is –_

Hermione didn't waste any more time. She immediately grabbed her wand and Disapparated to The Burrow, wishing to meet Ron as soon as she arrived at her destination. However, she was interrupted by Mrs Weasley who was still at the kitchen, trying to clean up the mess left by her family.

"Oh, Hermione dear," said Mrs Weasley, hugging the girl tightly. "What are you doing here? I thought you're coming by tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry for popping here so late, Mrs Weasley, but Ginny owled to ask me to come here as soon as possible because Ron hasn't eaten anything."

"Oh, that poor boy. He was doing fine before you left to retrieve your parents."

Hermione winced as she remembered how hard it was for them to leave each other's side just as they got together, how much they had cried the night before she had to go, how devastated Ron had looked that day. She thought he was all right by himself, judging by the letters they exchanged during the time they were apart. But as she heard Mrs Weasley's story on how seldom Ron had spoken and how little he had eaten, she instantly regretted the day she had to leave without him by her side.

"He doesn't allow anyone – including me – to enter his bedroom, so Harry sleeps in Percy's now," said Mrs Weasley, leading her to the stairs. Just before Hermione could take the first step, Mrs Weasley grabbed her hand and turned her around. "I really hope you can persuade him to have his supper. I don't want him to get sick."

"Neither do I."

Mrs Weasley smiled and placed her free hand on Hermione's cheek. "You're a really good girl, dear. I'm glad Ronald's chosen you."

Hermione was still blushing as she stood before Ron's bedroom door. She took a steady breath and knocked on the door lightly. "Ron? It's me. May I come in?" she asked softly, afraid to wake the whole house.

She waited, trying to hear any response from the owner of the room. She even held her breath as she might miss some kind of a quiet reply from inside. But nothing was heard; not even his snore. Convinced that he was still awake, she knocked again. "Ron? Please, I want to see you."

Then she heard it; a small click – Ron had unlocked the door using his wand. Choosing not to wait any longer, she opened the door quietly, trying not to make a sound.

Closing and locking it as quietly and slowly, she noticed how dark his room was. It was so dark she had to use her wand to find his bed. "Lumos," she muttered. She dared not point towards his bed, afraid that Ron might be facing her. So she settled with placing it by her side and started walking, avoiding anything on her way.

She inaudibly sighed at the sight before her; Ron was lying on his side, cocooned inside his blanket despite the hot weather. She felt some tears starting to form on the corner of her eyes as she faintly heard a sniff from him. Muttering a Muffliato towards the door, she placed her wand gently on his table, directing the light away from the bed, and lifted the blanket to get inside. Once settled, she turned on her side to wrap her arms around his waist and put a soft kiss on his shoulder, patting his lean stomach softly.

Ron suddenly turned around and hugged her tightly as if to never let go. He started to cry, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

"It's okay, just let it all out," said Hermione, stroking his head lovingly. "I'm the only one here. No-one can hear you."

"Fred's gone, Hermione."

_So this is what it's all about_, she thought. "He is, I know." She wanted to add more but she didn't want to upset him further.

"I know I'm supposed to accept the fact that he's not here anymore, but I don't think I can do it," he whispered. "I'm not strong enough."

"Nobody expects you to be, Ron."

"_They_ do, Hermione, my family does," he said, voice getting louder even though he was still crying. "Even you."

Hermione sighed. "Ron, you don't have to be strong for me. I want you to just be yourself. There's no need to pretend something that you're not," she said. She paused for awhile, as if thinking about what she's going to say next. "I love you for who you are."

Ron hugged her more tightly as a response. "I love you too, 'Mione."

Hermione turned her face slightly to kiss the side of his head. "You know," she began, "Fred's not completely gone. He's actually with us everywhere we go. No matter where we are."

"I know that," he whispered. "It's just that we keep thinking that Fred's only gone for a walk by himself."

She nodded.

Ron let out a faint laugh. "Have you seen George yet? He's even doing better than me now." He was then silent before continuing, "I actually told him to go on with his life. That just because his twin is not with him anymore, he can't just give up living. That he shouldn't lock himself out because the rest of his family is with him."

Hermione nodded again.

"But I didn't tell myself all that. I told others to do just that, but I didn't do it myself," mumbled Ron. "I must be the biggest hypocrite in both Wizarding and Muggle worlds."

"No, no. Don't say that," said Hermione, shaking her head. "You're not a hypocrite."

"Of course I am. What else must I be?"

"Something else but that," she replied. She continued after a moment of silence, "You tell your family all that because you want them to keep living. Because you love them, you don't want them to give up. That's what you are: a caring, family-loving man that I love. But," she sighed, "I don't want _you_ to give up on your life. Because if you do," she then started to shed some tears. "Because if you do, I don't know what I'll do without you by my side."

It was Ron's turn to calm her down. "Me neither," he said, running his hand up and down her back. "My life was miserable without you for the past few days you were in Australia. That's why I couldn't tell myself all the things I told them. I need you here with me to tell me all those things." He kissed her shoulder. "When you're gone, I was the only one who was alone; Mum's got Dad, Bill's got Fleur, Percy's got Audrey, Ginny's got Harry, George's got Angelina, and Charlie's got –"

"Angelina?"

"Yeah," he answered, "don't ask me how I found out, though. It's too disturbing, the image was."

Hermione slowly pulled away from him. "I'm sorry, Ron."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because I left you when you needed me the most," answered Hermione, brushing his dry tears off his cheeks. "Believe me, leaving you was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. I once almost gave up looking for my parents, and just wanted to get home to you. But then I remembered in one of your letters, you mentioned that you wanted to introduce yourself to my parents as my boyfriend. So with that thought and other letters from you in mind, I succeeded and finally returned. I was going to visit you tomorrow morning, but Ginny sent me an owl asking me to come here tonight." She stroked his cheek. "She told me you haven't eaten anything for days, Ron. Why? None of us want you to get sick. _I_ don't want you to get sick."

Ron rested his forehead on her shoulder again. "I told you: my life was miserable without you here," he said softly. "Promise me you won't ever leave me again, Hermione, I need you too much."

She pulled his head back and kissed his lips. "I won't, I promise," she murmured. "And you can't leave me either."

"Never," he replied, kissing her lips to close the deal. "I love you."

"Love you too," she replied, hugging him tight. Running her hand across his back, she asked, "Do you want to have your supper now?"

"Only if you're coming with me."

Hermione kissed his ear before whispering, "Of course." She pulled back. "I promised I wouldn't leave you, didn't I?"

Ron smiled genuinely for the first time in a few days. "So did I, love," he said, kissing her forehead affectionately. "Come on, 'Mione. I'm starving."

She got off the bed slowly. She then took her wand and flicked it to open the curtains and windows, letting the air in. She turned on his light and muttered a Nox. As her eyes started to get used to the brightness, she realised how messy his room was and let out a gasp.

"Sorry," apologised Ron, now sitting on the edge of his bed. "Since Mum never entered my room, there's no-one to tell me to clean up."

"That's because you shut everyone out," mumbled Hermione, before flicking her wand again to clean his room.

Ron stood from his seat and walked towards her. "You're brilliant, you know that," he said, hugging her from behind as his room now looked even neater than usual. "The most brilliant woman I've ever met."

Hermione blushed. "Thank you," she said quietly. "But what about your mother? Isn't she brilliant as well?"

"Of course," he said, "you, Mum and Ginny are the most brilliant women I've ever met. Although Ginny would be the last, with you and Mum as her competitors." He turned her around to look at her brown eyes. "And even though I haven't really talked to your parents properly before, I'm sure they're brilliant."

"Of course," she echoed his sentence. "The most brilliant parents anybody could ask for. Well, other than yours."

Ron smiled again and let her go reluctantly. He took her hand and pulled her towards the door. Together they walked downstairs to the kitchen and found out that the table was empty, save for a number of plates with Ron's favourite food and two glasses of hot chocolate in the middle.

"Mum really is a wonderful person," mumbled Ron. He looked at his companion on his left. "You had your supper yet?"

Hermione nodded. "You go ahead, I'll just watch you eat," she said, squeezing his hand, "and have some hot chocolate your Mum's made."

He kissed her forehead and sat on one of the chairs with her beside him. He unwillingly let go of her hand as he began to eat his late dinner.

She smiled as she watched her boyfriend on her side. She never told anybody but she liked watching him eat. _It really is something_, she thought as she sipped on her hot chocolate. She looked back at him and realised that this was a sight she wouldn't want to miss for anything: he eating like there's no tomorrow and she watching beside him. _Well, we did promise we wouldn't leave each other anymore. Merlin help me, but I want to stay with him until the end. I love him so –_

"Hermione?"

She blinked, noticing that she's been staring at him for some time. "What is it?"

"Is there something on my face?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing," she answered, before smiling. "Nothing at all."

He shrugged and continued to eat his deserted supper. "You syu' you don wanna haff som o' dis?"

"Yes I'm sure I don't want to have some of your dinner," she said. "Although it'd be a bit nicer if you asked me _after_ you swallowed your food."

He immediately swallowed and looked at her again. "Sorry," he apologised with that grin Hermione's loved so much.

She couldn't help but kissed his cheek. "I love you so much, Ronald Weasley," she announced, before kissing him again. "You love me too, don't you?"

"Are you mental? Of course I do!" he replied, turning himself fully to look at her in the eye. "And I promise to love you until the end of time."

Hermione then kissed him fully on his mouth, not caring he still had his food on his plate. "So do I, love."

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_A/N: Hope it doesn't suck, especially the ending. Don't forget to review. ;]_

_Til next time.._


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